Stroke and CT Perfusion.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, killing more than 137,000 people a year. Time is critical during a stroke because prompt diagnosis and subsequent treatment can prevent the potential loss of brain function. Radiologic technologists who work in computed tomography (CT) must know how to perform CT perfusion and understand stroke diagnosis. This article provides information regarding strokes and CT perfusion techniques, including data acquisition, postprocessing, and interpretation.